3D PrintingProject by abigail howell

1.

There are many technologies in society that have an impact on our future. One that I found to be the most impactful is 3D printing. 3D printing has been traced back to 1986. This creation belonged to Charles Hull and since then, it has be going on for a couple of decades. What this does is it allows someone to design something and once the design is over, they are able to make more of it, requiring less labor. The first patent of this was originally for stereolithography apparatus. During this time period, many other 3D technologies were emerging as well. Although a large part of these still remains behind closed doors, it has progressed tremendously throughout the years. In the early years of this creation, the production cost was too expensive but as they kept developing and advancing what they called ‘concept modelers,’ they realized that this would help advance them even more. Now, as of 2009, 3D printers are commercially available for purchase and are highly praised in the medical field. (https://3dprintingindustry.com/3d-printing-basics-free-beginners-guide/history/)

2.

By being able to develop ideas faster than ever, saving money, and allowing oneself to build their own imaginatio, 3D printing has brought many advancements to society and more to come.

3.

There are many ways that this technology is being used today, all in ways that benefit the society and those living in it. First, this is used when conducting surgeries. According the NY Daily News, In a children’s hospital in Miami, a 3D printer was used to make an exact replica of a 5 year old girl’s heart. The doctor said that without it, he would’ve made a larger incision, making the surgery more painful for the girl. Another example of where it was used is with prosthetics. . A 3D copier made a 1lb mechanical hand for a 7 year old California girl to use. Because kids tend to grow out of their prosthetics in a year, making them cheaper like this could lead to revolutionize the market entirely. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/ways-3d-printing-changing-world-article-1.2394106

4.

As you can tell, this technology addresses and solves many problems, most importantly in the medical field, architecture, and manufacturing, all in its own way. Medically, it can create exact replicas helping doctor’s practice before they make procedures or making prosthetics for cheaper. With architecture, it works for building more low-income housing for a cheaper cost. Manufacturing overall is the biggest game changer, because it allows companies that cant sell enough of something, to still get manufactured, but it is for a lesser cost and doesn’t have to be industrially manufactured. This works when testing prototypes, instead of sending them to a factory to make hundreds, you can use a 3D printer to make 2 or 3. Every technology is going to have questions or issues regarding the implications and benefits, however, the 3D printer has continued to improve and can only get better from here.